Washing machine

ABSTRACT

A washing machine including a drum provided with a plurality of recess portions each provided in a polygonal pyramid recessed from one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the drum toward the remaining of the inner side and the outer side of the drum, and a plurality of through-holes configured to receive and discharge wash water, the recess portion including a polygonal side provided in a form of a polygon, and a plurality of edges extending from corners of the polygonal side to meet at a vertex of the recess portion, and the through-hole is formed through at least one of sides that form the polygonal side, thereby improving the washing performance due to the recess portion that makes a friction of the laundry with the sides of the recess portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Applications No.2012-016670, filed on Feb. 18, 2012 and Korean Patent Applications No.2012-062885, filed on Jun. 12, 2012 in the Korean Intellectual PropertyOffice, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a washing machine, andmore particularly, to a washing machine capable of enhancing the washingperformance.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a washing machine is provided with a tub and a drumconfigured to rotate at an inside the tub, and as a type of the washingmachine, includes a drum type washing machine that is designed to washlaundry using falling water.

The drum type washing machine includes a tub to accommodate wash water,and a drum rotatably installed at an inside the tub. A lift is disposedat an inside the drum to lift the laundry upward. A communicating holeis formed at a circumference portion of the drum, which is provided in acylindrical shape, such that water of the tub is introduced into thedrum or water of the drum is discharged from the drum during a drainingoperation or a spin-dry operation.

SUMMARY

Therefore, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide awashing machine capable of improving the washing performance byenhancing the friction between the inner surface of a drum and thelaundry.

Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in thedescription which follows and, in part, will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a washingmachine includes a tub, a drum, and a driving apparatus. The drum may bedisposed at an inside the tub. The driving apparatus may be configuredto rotate the drum. The drum may include a plurality of recess portionsand a plurality of through-holes. Each of the plurality of recessportions is recessed in a form of a polypyramid from one of an innersurface and an outer surface of the drum toward the remaining of theinner side and the outer side of the drum. The plurality ofthrough-holes may be configured to drain water. The recess portion mayinclude a polygonal side provided in a form of a polygon, and aplurality of edges extending from corners of the polygonal side to meetat a vertex of the recess portion. The through-hole may be formedthrough at least one of sides that form the polygonal side.

The drum may be inclinedly disposed to have a front thereof higher thana rear thereof.

Each of the plurality of recess portions may be recessed in a form of aquadrangular pyramid so as to have a quadrangle side.

The plurality of through-holes may be formed at two of four sidesforming the quadrangle side, the two sides opposite to each other in arotation direction of the drum.

The plurality of through-holes may be formed through two of four sidesforming the quadrangle side, the two sides opposite to each other in adirection of a shaft of the drum.

The plurality of through-holes may be formed through each of four sidesforming the quadrangle side.

The plurality of through-hole may be formed through at least one ofmiddle portions of four sides forming the polygonal side.

The plurality of recess portions may be formed adjacent to one another,and the through-hole may be formed at a side that is shared by adjacenttwo recess portions of the plurality of the recess portions.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a washingmachine includes a tub, a drum, and a driving apparatus. The drum may bedisposed at an inside the tub. The driving apparatus may be configuredto rotate the drum. The drum may include a plurality of recess portionsand a plurality of through-holes. The plurality of recess portions maybe provided in a form of a polypyramid recessed from an inner surface toan outer surface of the drum. The plurality of through-holes may beformed through vertexes of the plurality of recess portions to drainwater. The recess portion may include a polygonal side provided in aform of a polygon, a plurality of edges extending from corners of thepolygonal side to meet at the vertex of the recess portion, and aplurality of side surfaces each provided between corresponding ones ofthe plurality of edges. Two of the plurality of side surfaces oppositeto each other may be inclined with different angels from each other.

The two of the plurality of side surfaces inclined with the differentangles may be disposed opposite to each other in a direction of a shaftof the drum.

A side surface provided at a rear of the drum among the plurality ofside surfaces may have an inclination angle smaller than an inclinationangle of a side surface provided at a front of the drum among theplurality of side surfaces.

The two of the plurality of side surfaces inclined with the differentangles may be disposed opposite to each other in a circumferentialdirection of the drum.

A side surface provided at an upstream in a rotation direction of thedrum among the plurality of side surfaces may have an inclination anglesmaller than an inclination angle of a side surface provided at adownstream in the rotation direction of the drum among the plurality ofside surfaces.

The recess portion may be provided in a quadrangular pyramid includingfour edges and four side surfaces formed between corresponding ones ofthe four edges.

As described above, the washing machine provided with the drum inaccordance with the present disclosure allows a laundry to make afriction at sides of a recess portion, increasing the friction betweenthe drum and the laundry, so that the washing efficiency is enhanced.

In addition, a communicating hole is provided at a side formed a polygonof a recess portion, thereby enabling more of through-holes to be formedwhen compared to a case that a through-hole is provided in the center ofthe recess portion, so that the drain operation and spin-dry operationare easily performed.

In addition, opposite two surfaces of the recess portion are formed tobe inclined in different angles from each other so as to enhance thespin-dry operation via the through-hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent andmore readily appreciated from the following description of theembodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings ofwhich:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view illustrating a washing machine inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a drum applied tothe washing machine in accordance with the one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating a portion ‘B’ of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 to 15 are partially enlarged views illustrating recess portionsof the washing machine in accordance with other embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the presentdisclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elementsthroughout.

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view illustrating a washing machine inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The washingmachine is a drum type washing machine including a body 10 provided at afront surface thereof with an inlet 14 for a laundry to be input, a tub11 installed at an inside the body 10, a drum 20 rotatably installed atan inside the tub 11, and a door 15 to open and close the inlet 14 ofthe body 10.

The tub 11 is inclinedly installed at a predetermined inclination angleof about (a) with respect to an installation surface of the washingmachine in a way to have a front surface portion 11 a with the inlet 14disposed higher than a rear surface portion 11 b. The interior of thetub 11 is inclinedly installed the same way as the tub 11.

The drum 20 is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 12 that passesthrough the rear surface portion 11 b of the tub 11 while being coupledto a rear surface portion 21 of the drum 20. A driving motor 13 isinstalled at an outside the rear surface portion 11 b of the tub 11 torotate the rotating shaft 12. As the driving motor 13 rotates therotating shaft 12, the drum 21 inside the tub 11 is rotated. The drivingmotor 13 rotates the drum 20 at a low speed during a washing operation,and rotates the drum 20 at a high speed in one direction during aspin-dry operation.

A detergent supply apparatus 16 and a water supply apparatus 17 tosupply the inside of the tub 11 with detergent and wash water,respectively, are installed at an upper portion of the tub 11. Thedetergent supply apparatus 16 is installed at a front side of the body10. The water supply apparatus 17 includes a first water supply pipe 17b connecting an outside water supply pipe 17 a to the detergent supplyapparatus 16, a second water supply pipe 17 c connecting the detergentsupply apparatus 16 to the tub 11, and a water supply control valve 17 dinstalled on the first water supply pipe 17 b to control the supply ofwater. In this manner, the water to be supplied to the inside the tub 11is supplied together with detergent to the tub 11.

A heater 18 is installed at a lower portion of the tub 11 to heat thewash water of the tub 11. In order to install the heater 18, a heateraccommodating portion 11 c protruding downward is provided at a lowerportion of the tub 11. In this manner, the heater 18 is accommodated atan inside the heater accommodating portion 11 c while the wash water iscollected in the heater accommodating portion 11 c.

The tub 11 is provided at a lower portion thereof with a drain apparatus30 and a wash water circulating apparatus 40 installed thereto. Thedrain apparatus 30 is configured to drain wash water of the tub 11. Thewash water circulating apparatus 40 is configured to supply the drum 20with the wash water of the tub 11. The drain apparatus 30 includes afirst drain pipe 32 connected to a drain hole 31 formed at a lowerportion of the tub 11, a drain pump 33 installed on the first drain pipe32, and a second drain pipe 34 connected at an exit side of the drainpump 33.

The wash water circulating apparatus 40 includes a flow path divertvalve 41 installed on the second drain pipe 34 at the exit side of thedrain pump 33, a circulating pipe 42 extending toward an inlet 23 of thedrum 20, and an jetting nozzle 43 installed at an exit side of thecirculating pipe 42. The flow path divert valve 41 is configured toconvert a path to allow the wash water of the exit of the drain pump 33to be drained to the outside or to allow the wash water to flow towardthe circulating pipe 42. The flow path convert valve 41 may beimplemented using an electromotive three-way valve that isconventionally used. As shown in FIG. 2, in a state where the flow pathdivert valve 41 is operated in a way to flow the wash water toward thecirculating pipe 42, if the drain pump 33 is driven, the wash water inthe tub 11 is jetted to the inside of the drum 20 through the firstdrain pipe 32 and the circulating pipe 42. In a state where the flowpath divert valve 41 is operated in a way to flow the wash water towardthe second drain pipe 34, which is configured to guide the wash water tothe outside, if the drain pump 33 is driven, the wash water in the tub11 is drained.

The drum 20 includes the rear surface potion 21 coupled to the rotatingshaft 12, a front surface portion 22 having the inlet 23, and acircumference portion 24 provided in a cylinder shape and having bothends coupled to the front surface portion 22 and the rear surfaceportion 21, respectively. A plurality of lifters 25 are installed at aninner surface of the circumference portion 24 of the drum 20 to lift anddrop the laundry inside the drum 20 during the rotation of the drum 20.A plurality of stirring protrusions 26 are formed at an inner surface ofthe rear surface portion 21 of the drum 20 to improve the washingperformance.

As shown in FIG. 3, the circumference portion 24 of the drum 20 isprovided with a plurality of recess portions 50 recessed in the form ofa polypyramid from the inner surface to the outer surface of the drum20, and a plurality of through-holes 60 configured to allow water of thetub 11 to be introduced into the drum 20 or allow water of the drum 20to be discharged to the tub 11.

The recess portion 50 includes a polygonal side having a plurality ofsides, and a plurality of edges extending from corners of the polygonalside to meet at a vertex of the polypyramid. In accordance with theembodiment of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of recessportions 50 is provided in the form of a quadrangular pyramid so as tohave a quadrangle side 50 a including four sides, and a plurality ofedges extending from corners of the quadrangle side 50 a. The pluralityof recess portions 50 are disposed in a way to share at least oneportion thereof between adjacent recess portions 50 among the pluralityof recess portions 50.

The through-hole 60 is disposed through at least one of the four sidesof the quadrangle side 50 a. In the embodiment of the presentdisclosure, the through-hole 60 is formed at middle portions of two ofthe four sides forming the quadrangle side 50 a of the recess portion50, the two sides opposed in a circumferential direction of the drum 20.As described above, the quadrangle side 50 a of the recess portion 50shares one of the four sides with an adjacent recess portion 50, so thatthe through-hole 60 is formed at the side that is shared betweenadjacent two recess portions 50.

As described above, the recess portions 50 and the through-holes 60 areformed, and when the drum 20 is rotated for a washing operation, thesides disposed in the circumferential direction of the drum 20 among thefour sides of the quadrangle side 50 a make a friction with the laundryin the drum 20, thereby enhancing the washing efficiency.

Different from a case where the through-hole is disposed only in thecenter of the recess 50, the through-holes 60 are formed at the sidesforming the quadrangle side 50 a, and more of through-holes 60 areformed on the recess portion 50, thereby enhancing the drain andspin-dry efficiencies.

As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of lifter installation portions 24 a areinstalled for installation of the lifter 25 on the circumference portion24 of the drum 20. The lifter installation portions 24 a are providedwhile being spaced apart from one another in between the recess portions50. The lifter installation portion 24 is provided in a planar shape forinstallation of the lifter 25 while the recess portions 50 have strengthlarger than the lifter installation portion 24 a due to the shapethereof. Such a local difference in strength may cause the drum 20 to beunequally bent when the drum 20 is manufactured. In order to prevent thedrum 20 from being unequally bent, reinforcing portions 24 b are formedat both sides of the lifter installation portion 24 a of thecircumference portion 24, respectively, in a manner to be recessed fromthe inner surface to the outer surface of the circumference portion 24.In addition, in order to reinforce the lifter installation portion 24 a,a series of recess portions 50 may be provided at each side of the liftinstallation portion 24 a.

Hereinafter, the operation of the washing machine configured as suchwill be described.

In a state where a laundry is input in the drum 20 and detergent isinput in the detergent supply apparatus 16, as the washing machine isoperated, the water supply control valve 17 d of the water supplyapparatus 17 is opened such that wash water is supplied to the tub 11.In this case, the detergent in the detergent supply apparatus 16 issupplied together with the wash water to the inside the tub 11 duringthe supply of water. After a predetermined amount of wash water issupplied, the supply of water is finished.

After the supplying of water, the drum 20 is rotated at a low speed bythe operation of the driving motor 13, performing a washing operation.In this case, the wash water at the lower portion of the tub 11 issupplied to the inside of the drum 20 by the operation of the wash watercirculating apparatus 40. In the washing process as such, the frictionbetween the laundry and the inner surface of the drum 20 is increaseddue to the plurality of recess portions 50, thereby improving thewashing performance.

After the washing operation is completed, a rinsing operation ofrepeating a spin dry and a water supply is performed, and after therinsing operation, a spin-dry is performed at a high speed of rotationof the drum 20.

Although the through-holes 60 according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure are formed at two sides of the four sides forming thequadrangle side 50 a of the recess portion 50, the two sides opposite toeach other in the circumferential direction of the drum 20, the presentdisclosure is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 4, the through-holes60 may be formed at two sides of the four sides forming the quadrangleside 50 a of the recess portion 50, the two sides opposite to each otherin the direction of a shaft of the drum 20. As shown in FIG. 5, thethrough-holes 60 may be formed at the four sides forming the quadrangleside 50 a of the recess portion 50. As shown in FIG. 6, thethrough-holes 60 may be formed at four corner of the quadrangle side 50a of the recess portion 50.

Although the description of the above described embodiments has beenmade in relation that the recess portion 50 is recessed from the innersurface to the outer surface of the drum 20, the present disclosure isnot limited thereto. On the contrary, the recess portion 50 may berecessed from the outer surface to the inner surface of the drum 20.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the recess portion 50 recessed fromthe outer surface to the inner surface of the drum 20 and having thethrough-holes 60 formed at two sides of the four sides forming thequadrangle side, the two sides opposite to each other in thecircumferential direction of the drum 20. In a case of having the frontsurface portion 22 of the drum 20 disposed to be higher than the rearsurface portion 21 described above, as the through-holes 60 are formedat the two opposite sides of the quadrangle side 50 a in thecircumferential direction of the drum 20, the wash water, during adraining operation, moves to the rear of the drum 20 along sidesdisposed in the circumferential direction of a quadrangle side 50 a′,which is positioned at a lower portion of the drum 20, and is drainedthrough the through-holes 60, so that the draining efficiency isenhanced.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of the recess portion 50 recessed fromthe outer surface to the inner surface of the drum 20 and having thethrough-holes 60 formed at two sides of the four sides forming thequadrangle side, the two sides opposite to each other in the shaftdirection of the drum 20. As the through-holes 60 are formed at the twoopposite sides of the quadrangle side 50 a in the shaft direction of thedrum 20, the wash water, during a spin-dry operation, moves in acircumferential direction while flowing along sides disposed in theshaft direction of a quadrangle side 50 a′ and is drained through thethrough-holes 60, so that the spin-dry efficiency is enhanced.

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of the recess portion 50 recessed fromthe outer surface to the inner surface of the drum 20 and having thethrough-holes 60 formed at middle portions of the four sides forming thequadrangle side 50 a, thereby enhancing the drain and spin-dryefficiencies.

FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the recess portion 50 recessed fromthe outer surface to the inner surface of the drum 20 and having thethrough-holes 60 formed at a vertex of the recess portion 50 at whichedges 50 b′ meet each other.

Although the recess portion 50 is illustrated as being recessed in theform of a quadrangular pyramid, the present disclosure is not limitedthereto. As shown in FIG. 11, a recess portion 70 may be recessed in theform of a hexagonal pyramid. Alternatively, the recess portion may berecessed in variety of different polygonal pyramids.

Although the lengths of the four sides of the recess portion 50 areillustrated as same to one another, the present disclosure is notlimited thereto. FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a recess portion 80 recessedfrom the outer side to the inner side of the drum 20 in the form of aquadrangle pyramid, and including two edges 80 b formed at the rear ofthe drum 20 have lengths L1 different from length L2 of two edges 80 bformed at the front of the drum 20, so that an inclination angle θ1 of aside surface 80 c-1 formed at the rear of the drum 20 is different froman inclination angle θ2 of a side surface 80 c-2 formed at the front ofthe drum 20.

In the embodiment, the lengths L1 of the two edges 80 b formed at therear of the drum 20 are provided to be larger than the lengths L2 of thetwo edges 80 b formed at the rear of the drum 20. The recess portion 80provided in the form of a quadrangle pyramid includes four edges 80 band four side surfaces 80 c formed between corresponding ones of thefour edges 80 b. The four side surfaces 80 c include the side surface 80c-1 formed at the rear of the drum 20, the side surface 80 c-2 formed atthe front of the drum 20, and two side surfaces 80 c-3 and 80 c-4opposite to each other in the circumferential direction of the drum 20.The inclination angle θ1 of the side surface 80 c-1 formed at the rearof the drum 20 is provided to be smaller than the inclination angle θ2of the side surface 80 c-2 formed at the front of the drum 20.

Through the recess portion 80 formed as above, water moves from the rearto the front of the drum 20 along the inner surface of the drum 20 dueto a centrifugal force during the spin-dry operation. During the processof water moving to the front, some of the water moving along the sidesurface 80 c-1 formed at the rear of the drum 20 collides with the sidesurface 80 c-2 formed at the front of the drum 20 that has a largerinclination angle (θ2) when compared to the inclination angle (θ1) ofthe surface 80 c-1 formed at the rear of the drum 20, and temporarilystops moving. Even in this state, the water is subject to thecentrifugal force, so the water is discharged to the outside the drum 20via a through-hole 90, thereby enhancing the spin-dry via thethrough-hole 90.

Although the inclination angle θ1 of the side surface 80 c-1 formed atthe rear of the drum 20 is provided to be smaller than the inclinationangle θ2 of the side surface 80 c-2 formed at the front of the drum 20,the present disclosure is not limited thereto. On the contrary, theinclination angle θ1 of the side surface 80 c-1 may be provided to belarger than the inclination angle θ2 of the side surface 80 c-2.

Although the two side surfaces 80 c-1 and 80 c-2 opposite to each otherin the shaft direction of the drum 20 are illustrated to have differentinclination angles from each other, the present disclosure is notlimited thereto. FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrates an embodiment of the recessportion 80 in which the two side surfaces 80 c-3 and 80 c-4 opposite toeach other in the circumferential direction among the four surfaces ofthe recess portion 80 have different inclination angles from each other.

In this case, an inclination angle θ3 of the side surface 80 c-3 formedat a rear side of the rotation direction of the drum 20 is provided tobe smaller than an inclination angle θ4 of the side surface 80 c-4formed at a front side of the rotation direction of the drum 20.

If the drum 20 as such is rotated in one direction for a spin-dryoperation, the water in the drum 20 is rotated in the rotation directionof the drum 20 along the inner surface of the drum 20. During theprocess of water moving in the circumferential direction, water movingalong the side surface 80 c-3 formed at the rear side of the rotationdirection of the drum 20 collides with the side surface 80 c-4 formed atthe front side of the rotation direction of the drum 20 that has alarger inclination angle (θ4) when compared to the inclination angle(θ3) of the surface 80 c-3, and temporarily stops moving. Even in thisstate, the water is subject to the centrifugal force, so the water isdischarged to the outside the drum 20 via the through-hole 90, therebyenhancing the spin-dry via the through-hole 90.

Although a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown anddescribed, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in these embodiments without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is definedin the claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A washing machine comprising: a tub; a drumdisposed at an inside the tub; and a driving apparatus configured torotate the drum, wherein the drum comprises a plurality of recessportions each provided in a form of a polypyramid recessed from one ofan inner surface and an outer surface of the drum toward the remainingof the inner side and the outer side of the drum, and a plurality ofthrough-holes configured to drain water, the recess portion comprises apolygonal side provided in a form of a polygon, and a plurality of edgesextending from corners of the polygonal side to meet at a vertex of therecess portion, and the through-hole is formed through at least one ofsides that form the polygonal side.
 2. The washing machine of claim 1,wherein the drum is inclinedly disposed to have a front thereof higherthan a rear thereof.
 3. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein each ofthe plurality of recess portions is recessed in a form of a quadrangularpyramid so as to have a quadrangle side.
 4. The washing machine of claim3, wherein the plurality of through-holes are formed through two of foursides forming the quadrangle side, the two sides opposite to each otherin a rotation direction of the drum.
 5. The washing machine of claim 3,wherein the plurality of through-holes are formed through two of foursides forming the quadrangle side, the two sides opposite to each otherin a direction of a shaft of the drum.
 6. The washing machine of claim3, wherein the plurality of through-holes are formed through each offour sides forming the quadrangle side.
 7. The washing machine of claim1, wherein the plurality of through-hole are formed through at least oneof middle portions of four sides forming the polygonal side.
 8. Thewashing machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of recess portions areformed adjacent to one another, and the through-hole is formed through aside that is shared by adjacent two recess portions of the plurality ofthe recess portions.
 9. A washing machine comprising: a tub; a drumdisposed at an inside the tub; and a driving apparatus configured torotate the drum, wherein the drum comprises a plurality of recessportions provided in a form of a polypyramid recessed from an innersurface to an outer surface of the drum, and a plurality ofthrough-holes formed through vertexes of the plurality of recessportions to drain water, the recess portion comprises a polygonal sideprovided in a form of a polygon, a plurality of edges extending fromcorners of the polygonal side to meet at the vertex of the recessportion, and a plurality of side surfaces each provided betweencorresponding ones of the plurality of edges, and two of the pluralityof side surfaces opposite to each other are inclined with differentangels.
 10. The washing machine of claim 10, wherein the two of theplurality of side surfaces inclined with the different angles aredisposed opposite to each other in a direction of a shaft of the drum.11. The washing machine of claim 10, wherein a side surface provided ata rear of the drum among the plurality of side surfaces has aninclination angle smaller than an inclination angle of a side surfaceprovided at a front of the drum among the plurality of side surfaces.12. The washing machine of claim 9, wherein the two of the plurality ofside surfaces inclined with the different angles are disposed oppositeto each other in a circumferential direction of the drum.
 13. Thewashing machine of claim 12, wherein a side surface provided at anupstream in a rotation direction of the drum among the plurality of sidesurfaces has an inclination angle smaller than an inclination angle of aside surface provided at a downstream in the rotation direction of thedrum among the plurality of side surfaces.
 14. The washing machine ofclaim 9, wherein the recess portion is provided in a quadrangularpyramid including four edges and four side surfaces formed betweencorresponding ones of the four edges.